Dixfield family getting rabies shots after skunk encounter

DIXFIELD, Maine — Six members of the same Dixfield family are getting precautionary rabies shots after their dogs came in contact with a rabid skunk.

Jamie and Nancy Milledge were hosting a birthday party at their home on Jan. 8 when a diseased skunk came into their yard. Their two dogs came in contact with the animal, which Jamie Milledge eventually shot and killed.

Even though no members of the family had direct contact with the skunk, they all petted the dogs’ saliva covered coats.

Testing at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the skunk was carrying the rabies virus, which can be passed onto humans through saliva.